Stanford, Harvard vie for city student
Amita is squash, swimming champion who aced competitive exams
While other students struggle to secure seats at reputed universities, Amita Gondi from Hyderabad is spoilt for choice. This grade XII student of Oakridge International School has received offer letters from Harvard as well as Stanford.
Amita plays squash and racquetball at the international level and is a national-level swimmer. She has many awards to her name and is currently ranked first in India, in squash, in the girls under-17 category. She has finished in the top three at major tournaments including the 2016 US Junior Squash Open, the 2015 Canada Junior Open and the 2016 Canada Junior Open.
Amita received a letter from Harvard University in July 2017, inviting her to visit their campus and finalise the admissions process. She then received an offer from Stanford University, which she accepted earlier this month. Luke Hammond, the assistant coach of the Harvard University Men’s and Women’s Squash Teams, had written to Amita in July, asking her to visit the campus for an official visit and interview, upon which her acceptance would be dependent.
Subsequent to her visit, she received a letter from Stanford which read, “It is a tribute to your outstanding achievements as a student-athlete that our Department of Athletics has requested an early review of your application for admission to Stanford for Fall 2018. I am delighted to share this good news with you ahead of our regular notification period. We offer congratulations on your distinguished accomplishments and welcome you to Stanford.”
While students struggle to secure seats at reputed universities, Amita Gondi from Hyderabad is spoiled with choices.
Amitas mother Manjula is delighted that her daughter's efforts have paid off. “She has been offered admission to top universities, but she aims to pursue a degree in computer science and economics, which is why she has chosen Stanford University. Many coaches saw her while she was playing at the US Junior Open in December last year, where she stood third. That was the turning point which led multiple universities interested in offering her admission. It takes a lot of discipline; the balance that she has maintained between sports and academics is what has made her an aspiring candidate for top universities to consider.”
Amita achieved a perfect 10/10 CGPA in her grade X CBSE Board exams. She was recognised for her academic excellence twice during her secondary school education, and she also held the post of deputy head girl.
Mr Arjun Rao, principal of the Newton campus of Oakridge International School, said, “She has pushed herself in the classroom as well as in the sports arenas of the school and found great success all-round.”